As part of the NRT's 50th Anniversary celebration, a series of home skills workshops are scheduled for anyone looking to learn more about any one of our upcoming topics, including:Battling invasive speciesBackyard beekeeping (2 classes available)Composting for beginnersFun family paint nights (2 classes available)Meet the NRT Farm AnimalsNRT campfire sing alongRegistration is required for some workshops, so visit the NRT online to read more about the classes scheduled, as well as for downloadable registration forms!Registration is now open for all classes in June-September.

Last minute spaces for our Beginners Gardening class on Tuesday, May 23rd are still available. Call the NRT office to register at 508-238-6049.

Honey bees are an insect most of us become familiar with at an early age. Whether we see them buzzing in our backyards, taste honey for the first time or accidentally step on one - honey bees are a constant in our lives. Despite their ability to sting, honey bees are actually very gentle and will leave you alone as long as they remain unprovoked. They are too busy gathering pollen to make honey to worry about people or other animals!

Honeybee hives have long provided humans with honey and beeswax. Such commercial uses have spawned a large beekeeping industry, though many species still occur in the wild. However, in recent years’ bee populations have been decreasing, a phenomenon called “Colony Collapse Disorder” (CCD). During CCD, all the worker bees will vacate the hive, leaving the queen, larvae and nurse bees with whatever food is left in the hive. Without the worker bees, the hive will eventually collapse, ending honey production as well as killing off the next generation of honey bees.

​Bees are pollinators. Many fruit trees and flowers rely on the actions of pollinators to carry pollen for fertilization. Without pollination, trees will not fruit and flowers won’t bloom. Most scientists agree the problem is a combination of pests, disease, poor nutrition and toxins from pesticides, yet how big a role each of those plays is up for debate – as are the solutions. But there are ways that you can help save the honey bees, and you can start simply and in your very own backyard!

1. Whether or not gardening is your spring and summer pastime, it’s easy to select pollinator-friendly plants and flowers for your backyard. These are often a combination of wildflowers and grasses that are favorite pollen sources for honey bees, and packets are available for purchase online.

Have a positive impact on our environment does not necessarily mean dramatic changes in your lifestyle. Simply by becoming more aware of the environment around us, we can have a positive impact on the future of this planet.

Are you interested in keeping honeybees but don't know where to begin? The Bristol County Beekeepers Association will be presenting its next Bee School series beginning February 2, 2016. The class is expected to run for 9 weeks and will cover a variety of topics important for new beekeepers, from selecting bees to keeping your hive healthy. Classes are held at Bristol County Agricultural High School. For more information on Bristol County's Bee School or to contact them directly, visit them online at www.bristolbee.com.

For those of you interested in keeping bees in any area, we strongly suggest taking a Bee School class of some kind before setting up a hive and purchasing bees. The information and experience you will gain from any of the members of local beekeeping associations will be invaluable to you as you begin this new adventure. Classes are available through many local bee clubs. Search online for a beginner beekeeping class near you for more information in your area.

With all of the information out in the public about the decreasing populations of pollinators, there has been a significant growing interest in the art of beekeeping. People from diverse living situations are learning how to keep happy, healthy bees in their communities. Besides the benefits to the environment, bees can also provide that sweet, sticky treat - honey!

But there's much more to keeping bees than just having a white wooden box with bees in the back yard. To learn the basics of how to become an effective beekeeper, we suggest taking the time to learn about bees and their needs from more experienced keepers. People in the beekeeping community are generous and open with their assistance and knowledge, and often welcome people who are seeking to learn more about helping our native pollinators, or even become beekeepers themselves. It takes time to gain the background knowledge, equipment, and resources you need to start a hive of your own, so taking some classes is a great way to begin your journey.

If you are interested in learning more about the science of bees or becoming a beekeeper yourself, the Bristol County Beekeepers Association is holding its fall Bee School classes beginning September 2nd. The classes teach the basics of beekeeping and bee information, as well as give participants the opportunity to pair with a more experienced mentor if you choose to keep bees yourself. For more information or to sign up, please visit the Bristol County Beekeepers Association website and click on their Bee School link.